Austin Polytech delegation captivates Washington, DC

After my early May meeting with Ron Bloom, President Obama's manufacturing czar, he invited me to bring a delegation of Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA) leaders to Washington, DC, for a presentation to the US Department of Education and possibly others.

He was very interested in the character of our partnerships between labor and business; our focus on smaller, privately held companies; and our ability to sustain a general coalition of labor, business, government, and the community.

So I got to work assembling our team, which included Steve Kersten, president of WaterSaver Faucet Co. and one of APA's most committed partners, and APA junior and aspiring engineer Stran'ja Burge.

I arrived on June 22, two days before our delegation, to meet with a number of leaders individually. I met great interest from representatives of the White House staff, the US Department of Commerce, and California's Alameda Labor Council. I also had the chance to catch up with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

On June 24, I was joined by APA principal Bill Gerstein, APA assistant principal Bernina Brazier, APA junior Stran’ja Burge, WaterSaver Faucet CEO Steve Kersten, and CPE executive director Matt Hancock.

For our first meeting, we visited with top staff in career and vocational education at the US Department of Education. We discussed the broad vision as well as the details of Austin Polytech and our approach. They provided a number of suggestions and expressed interest in our approach.

Then we headed to the US Department of Labor. I gave them a copy of the report funded by their office in 2000, "Creating a Manufacturing Career Path System in Cook County," which built the foundation for our current work. They were very interested in our approach, wanted to ensure that we were on their radar when they engaged Chicago, and encouraged ongoing contact with their office.

Finally, we met with Congressman George Miller's House Committee on Labor and Education. They were very interested in our experience, and interested in our perspectives on several issues related to the re-authorization of the Perkins Act.

In summary, this was a very successful trip and reflected the growing interest at a high level in the CMRC's vision, programs, and partnerships. Unlike most similar efforts that focus on one issue or one department, we reflected a comprehensive vision that links a broad network of interests in a common project.

There is genuine interest in the notion that our approach could be a significant part of several demonstration projects committed to rediscovering and rebuilding advanced manufacturing as a foundation for our economy. These projects would take place in urban, industrial areas including Chicago and the Bay Area.

These efforts would engage a diverse partnership, develop projects and linkages in secondary and post-secondary education, and further strengthen the image of modern manufacturing.Many asked us what the next step should be in developing these projects, and expressed their willingness to be engaged and assist. We will develop our plans for the next steps in this engagement in the near future.

Dan Swinney
Executive Director